< The following message refers to Item G1 on the 5/10/22 City Council Regular Meeting Agenda >
[NOTE: The content of this message is the same as the message sent to the City of Menlo Park Planning Commission prior to their first study session of the Parkline Project on March 28th, 2020]
TO: City of Menlo Park Council Members
FM: Bob Macdonald, Chair, Ad Hoc Church Committee for the Parkline Project on behalf of the Church membership of The First Church of Christ, Scientist Menlo Park
RE: Moving the Playing Field in the Parkline Proposal
DT: Monday, May 10th, 2022
Our Church has been a neighbor and partner with SRI for over 60 years.
Our Church at 201 Ravenswood is surrounded on three sides by SRI. In the late 1950s, our Church did a land swap with SRI that led to the location of our current Church property. At that time, a perpetual parking agreement was put in place between our Church and SRI that provides parking for services, meetings, and events at our Church on SRI property, and for mutual traffic flow easements that ensure traffic flow and emergency vehicle access around the perimeter of our property, as well as the ability to exit onto Middlefield.
We are in support of the efforts of SRI and the Parkline team to improve the use of SRI’s 63 acres in the heart of Menlo Park.
However, we have identified a significant issue for our Church in the proposed plan. We have made the Parkline team aware that our Church membership would like the proposed playing field moved so it would not be adjacent to our property.
Relocating the playing field is the most “bullet-proof” way to ensure the sanctity and serenity of all religious services, meetings, and events on our property, now and into the future. We are comfortable with continuing to have parking lots, parking structures and/or office buildings adjacent to our property as part of the Parkline project. That will create a buffer similar to what we have enjoyed for over 60 years.
In addition to our position regarding the playing field location, our Church would also like to make it known that regardless of the mix of parking, parking structures, and/or office buildings that might be adjacent to our property, two of the three existing mutual traffic flow easements, “Ravenswood #1” and “Ravenswood #2”, need to remain in place to ensure that emergency vehicles can get to any location around the periphery of our property. The Church would also like to reach a mutually acceptable agreement regarding the “Middlefield Connection” traffic flow easement.
Thank you for giving our Church membership this opportunity to bring these issues to your attention as public hearings regarding the Parkline proposal begin.
Sincerely,
Bob Macdonald
Chair, Ad Hoc Church Committee for the Parkline Project for The First Church of Christ, Scientist Menlo Park
[Members of the Ad Hoc Committee are copied on this email]
-------------------------------------
Bob Macdonald
mailbobmac@gmail.com
mobile: 650-575-2512
-------------------------------------
